tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5212793130351462652024-02-20T01:18:43.429-05:00Red-clad feet on a purple bikeWandering on 2 wheels in Downeast Maine, this trip represents my return to touring after too long of an absence (caused by last year's unfortunate crash). Six days gave me time for a pair of loops in coastal Maine, stretching from Mt. Desert Island in the west to Jonesport in the east.Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-23673024670469239162009-01-25T10:04:00.000-05:002009-01-25T10:08:26.417-05:00Introduction<b><i>Set to travel after a long (but unplanned) interval</i></b><br />
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<i>Looking back... originally published on June 2, 2005</i><br />
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It feels like this trip - or any trip with my bike - has been a long time coming. I had 3 bike trips planned for 2004, but <a href="http://denisegoldberg2004crash.blogspot.com/">circumstances</a> prevented me from taking the next step past the planning stage. My usual habit is to dream of places to ride over the winter and to start planning one or more trips in the late winter timeframe. I was stopped in my tracks this year by wondering whether I was back in (what I would consider to be) reasonable touring shape. Without getting out on my bike and letting some miles roll by, there just didn't seem to be an answer to that question. <br />
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We had a good-weather weekend in early April, and I got in my first two days of 35+ mile rides for the season. And the next day? I was really tired. I was worried too, thinking that being tired after just 2 rides of that length was a bad sign for the upcoming touring season. Of course, those two days represented a pretty big jump in mileage, and looking back I shouldn't have let it mess with my head. In the meantime, April returned to its normal cold self, and my on-the-bike training was pretty much stopped by the weather. I was riding, but all of my rides were in the 15 to 20 mile range. I planned a 3-day weekend at the beginning of May, thinking that I could get a sense about how ready I was for touring by doing 3 days of decent length rides. The weather wizard absolutely canceled that plan for me, delivering a very cold and rainy weekend. I took my planned day off that Monday anyway, thinking that one day of riding was much better than none. The ride? I did an out and back ride <a href="http://www.denisegoldberg.com/gallery/525582">along the coast of New Hampshire</a>. I thought about making it a 3-state day, starting in Massachusetts and ending by crossing the bridge into Maine, but somehow keeping it simple seemed to be the right answer for that day. In spite of it being a rather gloomy and chilly day, riding felt good. <br />
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One test ride down... At the time I still thought I could use the month of May to prove to myself that I was ready for touring again. That didn't happen. <i>(Actually, it didn't happen until the very end of the month.)</i> The National Weather Service summary published on June 1st finally made me realize that the fact that I hadn't managed a month of decent length rides in preparation for my return to touring didn't have anything to do with my desires or my fitness level. Here's some of what they had to say: <blockquote>May 2005 was an unusually cool and gloomy month for much of southern New England. Most climatological stations ranked May 2005 within the top 5 coolest in at least 100 years of official records. In addition... (it was)...the second least sunniest May since 1888. <br />
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It was the coldest May in Boston since 1967... in addition there were only three days during the month with above average daily mean temperatures. Total precipitation was 3.98 inches, just 0.74 inch above normal ...measurable precipitation occurred during 19 out of 31 days or seven days more than normal. Measurable precipitation was also recorded on every Saturday and Sunday/holiday during the month except Saturday May 14th.</blockquote>So it wasn't me after all! And Memorial Day weekend supplied me with a reasonable weather window to test my readiness for touring by getting in some good rides. I managed 3 days of good rides, only one of which was totally dry. Sunday was the day I really got wet... The day started with wet roads, so I started my ride a bit later than expected - waiting for the roads to dry out! It was cloudy, but it was still a pretty good riding day. I was rewarded for riding by coming around a corner to see a blue heron standing in the middle of a pond. Later in the afternoon, I saw the sun reflected in a pond. Still a nice day. Not too much later I started to see very gray clouds. And more gray clouds, dark and threatening. At that point a rider passed heading in the opposite direction. He looked up and said "you know we are both going to get very wet, don't you?" He was absolutely right, and when I was about 4 miles from home a steady rain started. Too bad I didn't have my rain gear with me - my bike & I were very wet and in need of a bath when I got home. Oh well, it was still a good ride - 45 miles worth of good. <br />
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Monday dawned with clear blue skies. The weather forecast called for a high probability of rain and afternoon thunderstorms. Do you think I listened? Nope. Out we headed (my bike and I), with the target of doing 50 miles... It probably would have been smart to combine some shorter loops near home, just in case - but I didn't do that. I was afraid that if I started on a shorter loop that I would get bored and head home without completing my target mileage. I managed 54 miles, and that included riding through two rainstorms. I was really lucky though, considering the downpour with loud cracks of thunder and visible cloud to ground lightening strikes that greeted me as I pulled up to my house at the end of the ride. Talk about dumb luck and good timing!<br />
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It's June now, and hopefully the cool and wet weather that lived here for the entire month of May will give way to more rideable weather so I can continue improving my fitness level. But the biking I was able to do over Memorial Day weekend convinced me that <b><i>it's time to start touring again</i></b>. <br />
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<center><img src="http://denise.smugmug.com/photos/461350265_5Goav-500x500.jpg"><br />
My feet (well, actually my foot) - riding down the road, and happily clad in my new red Sidi Dom's! Somehow I couldn't make myself buy black shoes... <br />
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<i>Who took the picture? If you have to ask you probably really don't want to know!</i></center>Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-40741569707149453842009-01-25T10:03:00.001-05:002009-01-25T10:03:46.571-05:00Table of Contents<blockquote><blockquote><i><table border="1" cellpadding="20"><tr><td>For now, please use Blogger's list of posts in the sidebar to follow my trip in reverse sequence. I plan to flip this blog on its head so that the posts flow from oldest to newest (like the table of contents in a book), adding a real Table of Contents and a Page by Page sidebar entry, and adding (better) next and previous links at the bottom of each post. <br />
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I probably won't be able to make these changes for the next several weeks. <br />
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...Denise, January 25, 2009</td></tr></table></i></blockquote></blockquote>Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-32991112218017813582005-08-06T13:42:00.000-04:002009-01-25T13:43:01.506-05:00A short but successful tour<b><i>...in spite of the scenic highway designations!</i></b><br />
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It's really hard to believe that my short tour of (a portion of) Downeast Maine was over a month ago. While it was short, it served its purpose of allowing me to prove to myself that I am really back. I think that touring on my bike is an important part of me - at least for now - and I'm happy to be back! <br />
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The tiny portion of Downeast Maine that I used for wandering by bike was a good place for my re-introduction to touring. In fact, I'm sure that I will be visiting there again in the future. <br />
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Yes, I did change my plans mid-way through the trip, and no, I have no regrets about doing my trip half as a tour and half as day rides. Of course, looking back on my tours, I seem to have a habit of changing my plans, don't I? I guess that even when I plan a trip out ahead of time I still need to satisfy my partially hidden wanderlust. <br />
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And the issue with the scenic highway designation? I found out many years ago that I don't always agree that designated scenic highways are scenic, but somehow I forgot that as I was planning this trip. The day that I rode from Ellsworth to Winter Harbor and then around the Schoodic Penninsula to Prospect Harbor, there were scenic designations on a couple of stretches of road. While I agree that the portion of the road that hugged the coastline of the Schoodic Penninsula was unbelieveably beautiful and <i>scenic</i>, I don't agree that the section of Route 1 along Frenchman's Bay deserved the designation. Of course, that's my bias because to me a scenic road along the coast should provide many views of the coastline, and this one didn't. But in spite of my disagreeing with the scenic highway designation, the ride was still beautiful - just beautiful in a different way than I had expected! <br />
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If you're thinking of Maine as a touring destination, I recommend a visit to the section of the state called Downeast Maine. It is beautiful, and welcoming to a touring cyclist. In spite of warnings that (mainly non-cycling) friends had for me about riding on Route 1, I found it to be a reasonable road for riding - at least that far east in the state. I probably wouldn't be happy riding Route 1 in the western side of Maine (too much traffic, too many cars), but there are other options there. <br />
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This year isn't over yet, and I'm planning another tour. Or maybe I should say I'll be taking another tour, but I'm going back to not planning each day in advance. Keep an eye out for my next journal!Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-80559607382448217522005-07-17T13:39:00.001-04:002013-08-03T08:44:56.717-04:00Yes, there really are more picturesInterested in more pictures of my week's worth of wandering in Downeast Maine? <br />
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If you'd like to see more (oh, and yes, there is some overlap between this journal and the galleries)... there are 4 galleries within the gallery titled <b><i><a href="http://www.denisegoldberg.com/Travel/Wandering-by-bike-in-Downeast">Wandering by bike in Downeast Maine - June 2005</a></i></b>. You can get to them from the top level gallery, or you can click to each individually using the links below: <ul><li><a href="http://www.denisegoldberg.com/gallery/630641">From Ellsworth to Mt. Desert Island & to the east along the coast</a><br />
<li><a href="http://www.denisegoldberg.com/gallery/630566">Acadia National Park</a><br />
<li><a href="http://www.denisegoldberg.com/gallery/630639">Puffins and razorbills and terns!</a><br />
<li><a href="http://www.denisegoldberg.com/gallery/631787">Campobello Island</a> </ul>Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-52203397919729998142005-07-03T10:22:00.000-04:002009-01-25T10:24:44.404-05:00Would you stay there again? Yes!My lodging for the trip was a combination of 4 nights in basic hotels (Fairfield Inn in Bangor & Bar Harbor, and Comfort Inn in Ellsworth) and 3 nights in B&B-type accommodations. <br />
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The hotels were just as I expected, basic accommodations but clean and very acceptable. The Comfort Inn did me the additional favor of allowing me to leave my 4-wheeled vehicle there while I was out touring, suggesting that I leave it right by the front door. Not only was I given permission to leave my car there, the manager remembered our conversation and greeted me on my return to the hotel with questions about how my tour was going. <br />
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I would happily return and stay again at both the Oceanside Meadows Inn and Harbor House on Sawyer Cove. They had different feelings - at least partially due to the fact that one was an inn and one a B&B - but both were comfortable and welcoming. <br />
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I stayed at the <a href="http://www.oceaninn.com">Oceanside Meadows Inn</a> for one night in Prospect Harbor. The inn has 2 buildings containing guest rooms, and in addition both buildings have sitting rooms scattered thoughout for guests to use. One of the buildings contains the dining room used for guest breakfasts, and the other includes a kitchen that is available for guest's use. Restaurants in the vicinity are not in walking distance (although there was a deli about a mile away), so I picked up food for dinner in Winter Harbor before riding to the inn, and made use of the guest kitchen. I was greeted here with a smile, given a tour of the inn, and given information about activities around the inn - including a couple of hikes and oceanfront access. The innkeeper told me that I could keep my bike in my room (and the room was large enough to accommodate it), but there was also a garage in the building that I suspect would be usable for that purpose. My room was on the second floor, and had 4 windows overlooking the water, and included both an easy chair and a rocking chair sitting by the windows. A king-sized bed and a private bath completed my home away from home. <br />
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Choices of times for breakfast were every half hour between 7:30 and 9 (or 9:30 - sorry, I wasn't interested in the later times so I guess I didn't pay that much attention to the time of the last breakfast slot). Breakfast was a multi-course affair (mango-lime soup, followed by zucchini bread, followed by blueberry waffles - with a choice of juices and coffee or tea), accompanied by good conversation from both our server and other guests (amazing that I wasn't the only one who chose the 7:30 breakfast slot!). <br />
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<center><img src="http://denise.smugmug.com/photos/461362047_sNvjZ-500x500.jpg"><br />
<i>Oceanside Meadows Inn</i> - My room was on the second floor, the 4 windows on the right as you look at the photo.</center><br />
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<a href="http://www.harborhs.com/">Harbor House on Sawyer Cove</a> in Jonesport was my home away from home for two nights. What a wonderful B&B! I was greeted by Maureen who then proceeded to show me my room, the back porch - which was the location of my very nice breakfasts (and could also be used by guests just for sitting & relaxing), the yard, and the shortcut over to the area where I would board the boat for my puffin cruise. And my bike was welcome to stay on the enclosed (back) porch). The first floor of the building housed a cafe (used for cooking guest breakfasts but didn't appear to be open other than that - might be seasonal, I didn't ask!). Maureen & Gene - the owners and my hosts - live on the 2nd floor. And the 2 guest rooms are on the 3rd floor. My room was lovely, and had a king-sized bed, a sitting area, and a table and chairs by the bay window looking out over the harbor. And again, the room included a private bath. Coffee & tea were available at all times, and there was a refrigerator on the 2nd floor that guests are welcome to use. <br />
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I thought since the puffin tour had a meeting time of 6:30 AM that my breakfast would have to consist of the energy bars that I was carrying with me. Not so! Enough guests take the tour that Maureen offers breakfast at any time between 6 AM and 9 AM. And a nice breakfast, at that! My first morning, I had fresh fruit (melon, papaya, kiwi, and berries) and blueberry waffles. The second day the fruit accompanied eggs and English muffins. Cereal (both cold & hot) was also available, as were breakfast meats if you so desired. And of course there was the usual juice and coffee or tea...<br />
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<center><img src="http://denise.smugmug.com/photos/461362030_2y4Ra-500x500.jpg"><br />
<i>Harbor House on Sawyer Cove</i> - a view of the sitting area in my room, the wonderfully comfortable bed, the enclosed porch (breakfast area), and a couple of residents who happily welcomed me to the house. <br />
</center>Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-44633858437288076862005-06-30T13:36:00.000-04:002009-01-25T13:39:01.988-05:00Driving home<b><i>...with a stop for a mid-day mystery ride</i></b><br />
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Much as I would like to spend some more time with my bike in Downeast Maine, today was the day that I needed to head home again. I woke once again to a very foggy and somewhat cool morning. The pavement was dry, but the air was full of that gray stuff. <br />
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My hopes for the morning included a wander once again (with my bike, of course) around Park Loop Road in Acadia National Park. After breakfast, I started to drive south from Ellsworth. Within a couple of miles the fog got even thicker, and I needed to use the windshield wipers to maintain visibility. Somehow that didn't seem like ideal riding conditions to me, so I switched directions and started to head towards home. I still hoped to get in a short ride somewhere today; I just didn't know where that would be. <br />
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Instead of driving back to Bangor to pick up I-95, I started west and south on route 1. I figured that some set of towns or one of the spits (or penninsulas) of land jutting out into the Atlantic would appeal to me for a short ride. Then I saw a sign warning of road construction and probable delays in the Camden area. That really didn't appeal, so I consulted my road map and changed my heading once again. (See, I change plans in a car too - it's not just a bike touring habit of mine!) I saw that route 173 eventually intersected with route 3, which would take me to I-95 in Augusta, so I turned onto 173. It turned out to be a beautiful and rather hilly road. In fact, it could provide some interesting riding. I can't say that it was a straight route since it did a bit of twisting around. It didn't seem to be alone in that habit (the twisting and turning, that is) because at one point I was on a road that was labeled as 173 North / 131 South. Tell me, how can I be heading both north and south at the same time? <br />
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<center><img src="http://denise.smugmug.com/photos/461461701_SdXvz-500x500.jpg"><br />
Tell me, how can I be heading north and south at the same time? <br />
</center><br />
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<hr/><br/>My purple bicycle finally decided to stop riding along silently - she started asking when and where we were going to ride. (What? Your bikes don't talk to you?) I guess she figured I had forgotten about riding today, but I didn't. I stopped in Freeport and headed out with my bike on somewhat of a mystery ride. It was only a mystery because I only had a state road map, and not a detailed map of the Freeport area. I had parked near the town's information kiosk, and there was a very detailed map of where all the stores in Freeport were located - but there was nothing showing the roads in the area. I really didn't want to ride on route 1, so I found a numbered but narrow road and headed out on an out-and-back ride. It was a rolling road, a nice setting for a ride. The sky was gray when I started, but a light gray that didn't appear to be threatening at all. And the winds were fairly calm. Neither of those conditions lasted though. A short while after I turned around the sky started to get very dark. No thunder this time, just dark clouds. And a little bit after that the wind really whipped up. Of course it was a headwind, so I was a little worried that my attempt to get back to the car while the bike and I were still clean and dry was not going to succeed. The wind was pretty strong, the temperature felt like it was dropping, and my speed was dropping too. I did stop for a second to put my camera in my waterproof pannier (and yes, I really was riding with a single pannier so I could carry things like my rain jacket with me). I was lucky today; the rain held off and I was able to finish my ride while I was still dry. <br />
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Of course since I was in Freeport I had to wander into LLBean. I didn't need anything, it was a "just because" type of stop. It still amazes me that the store is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And there aren't any locks on the front doors to the store!<br />
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One of my goals as I drove home today was to watch the Maine license plates to see if there were any that I was missing. It seems that most states have a single plate design, but there are sometimes special designs for special purposes. Most of the cars I saw had the standard picture of a chickadee and a pine cone along the left side of the plate. I occasionally saw two other designs though - a loon, and a lobster. The lobster really surprised me because that was an old license plate design, and I thought I remembered there being a controversy over that particular plate relative to lobster being a pricey item. When I mentioned seeing the lobster plates to Maureen (my hostess at the B&B in Jonesport), she said that there was another argument against the lobster plate - and that was that Maine was the only state that had a picture of a dead animal on their license plate, one that was not only dead but was also cooked! I never would have thought of that! It appears that the three designs that I saw are the current set of plates. <br />
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<center><img src="http://denise.smugmug.com/photos/461461719_gvNXk-500x500.jpg"><br />
Most of the cars I saw were sporting the chickadee & pinecone plate, but occasionally a loon or a lobster would pop up.</center><br />
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<hr/><br/><b><i>Home again...</i></b> It's good to be home again - even though I could have happily stayed out on the road with my bicycle for a while longer.Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-55096752116231097712005-06-29T13:25:00.000-04:002009-01-25T13:34:03.795-05:00Communing with our fine-feathered friends<b><i>Puffins, terns, razorbills, and...</i></b><br />
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I woke to find another gray and foggy morning. I figured there was a good chance that I'd have the entire day to wander on my bike, but I quickly dressed for a chilly boat ride, loaded up the car, and headed down to breakfast. I wanted to be ready just in case. <br />
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And just in case turned into a yes, the boat is heading to Machias Seal Island this morning. And even better, it turns out that the number of people who can visit the island from each boat is 13. I was number 14, and with one over, they just look the other way - so I was able to take the tour that I was hoping for. Time to commune with the birds...<br />
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<center><img src="http://denise.smugmug.com/photos/26841413_GcpJC-500x500.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://denise.smugmug.com/photos/26841416_YATJs-500x500.jpg"></center><br />
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It turns out that Machias Seal Island - the summer home of some amazing birds - is disputed territory, claimed by both the United States and Canada. The Canadian Wildlife Service and park rangers maintain a presence on the island, but apparently a few years back there was a real to do over the ownership of the island. At one point, Barna Norton (the father of the captain of our boat today) was told he could no longer land there. He got the government involved, and now both countries are claiming the island. At least the confrontation is at a government level and not a people level. Everyone was friendly, so it appears that the conflict is not (currently) at a human level. We had a chance to talk with some of the people staffing this island. It turns out that they work on the island for 28 days and then have 28 days off. Of course the crew we spoke with this morning had been there for 32 days. Their transportation to and from the island is a helicopter that requires visual contact with the land. It's been a foggy week, and it looks like the fog will be continuing. <br />
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Back to my day... The boat left promptly at 7am, heading through the protected Jonesport harbor area and then moving out into open ocean waters. It was cool, gray, and very foggy. The waves were a bit rough on the way out, and even rougher on the way back. It turns out that the cancellation of yesterday's tour was only partially due to the fog. It sounds like today's rough water was calm in comparison with yesterday's. The fog prevented us from seeing much on the way out, but as we got close to the island (which was 21 nautical miles from Jonesport) we started seeing swarms of birds. <br />
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<center><img src="http://denise.smugmug.com/photos/26841422_N5ZtE-500x500.jpg"></center><br />
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When we landed on the island, we were given "tern sticks". They were slats of wood that were probably between 3 and 4 feet long. We were told to hold the sticks over our heads, holding them still and not waving them around. Why? Rather than building a nest in a safe spot, the terns drop their eggs wherever they happen to be - so there were tern eggs sitting all over. The ones we could see were on the (cut) grass, but there may have been some hidden in the taller grass too. The wildlife folks had marked most of the locations with bright colored (but small) flags. Anytime those of the human species started walking, the terns took to the air, dive bombing to protect their yet-to-hatch babies. And along the way they also left their precious bird poop on some of the visitors. I believe the purpose of the sticks was to keep the angry birds away from our heads. <br />
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<center><img src="http://denise.smugmug.com/photos/26841424_BrHa5-500x500.jpg"><br />
The terns were definitely aware of our arrival, although these had calmed down and landed. <br />
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I really regret that I didn't have my camera in hand when we set foot on the island. We were told to pick up a stick (looked like a long paint stirrer) from the bucket at the dock and to hold it up in the air. The idea was that the terns would dive bomb the sticks and not our heads - and it did seem to work (although some of the group did get hit with some tern (bird) shit).</center><br />
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<hr/><br/>Next we headed down to the blinds, small wood shacks with small square windows that basically were holes in the walls with a piece of wood that slides over the opening. Up to 4 people can fit in a blind. I shared mine with a couple from Kingston, NY. We were warned not to open windows on two sides of the blind at the same time. With opposite windows open, sometimes the birds decide they can and should fly through the blinds.When we first arrived, some of the birds made a quick exit, but once all human presence was hidden, they returned. There were two kinds of birds that were outside of our blind - puffins, and razorbills. The razorbills reminded me of penguins. And the puffins? They are truly amazing looking. Not only were they sitting, and walking, and flying, and wandering outside of our blind, they were also scrambling around on the roof of the blind. Their feet were bright orange, and their beaks were multi-colored. Beautiful. I'm hoping that some of the pictures I took with my baby camera (a Canon S40) are reasonable images. This would have been the right trip to be carrying a camera with a significant telesphoto lens. <br />
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<center><img src="http://denise.smugmug.com/photos/26841434_PT3mm-500x500.jpg"><br />
A glimpse of the puffins from the blind. The birds moved away from the blinds (really little shacks) when we arrived, but as you'll see from the later pictures they came back. They even came back to prance across the tin roof of the blind while we were in it.</center><br />
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<hr/><br/>The sounds the birds made were amazing too, although I'm not sure which birds made which noises. If you want to hear what I heard, go to the <i>(Norton of Jonesport, Maine)</i> <a href="http://www.machiassealisland.com/">Puffin Tours of Machias Seal Island</a> page. There is an audio clip that you can click on, and I can tell you that the sounds you'll hear there definitely match the sounds we heard on the island. <br />
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The sun finally made an appearance on the trip back. Most of us were inside the boat by that time after being warned that it was likely to get pretty wet in the back of the boat as we sped through the waves. There were two more visual treats as we got closer to Jonesport - a bald eagle, and a seal. What a nice addition to our bird viewing day. <br />
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It was low tide when we returned, and what was a shallow ramp from the top of the dock down to the boat was now at a very steep angle. Our captain told us that in the Jonesport harbor area (of the Bay of Fundy) that there is a 14-foot difference in water level between low and high tide. Amazing. <br />
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It was warmer under a blue sky when we got back. I had considered driving back to the eastern edge of the state to do a loop ride out of Pembroke that I found in the Maine cycle tours puublication. I didn't really want to spend that much time in the car though, and it was already one in the afternoon, so I just randomly chose a road on the map for an out and back ride. I drove a short way to the east, and left my car in Machias. I then headed down the road leading to Jasper Beach. Funny thing about flat paper maps - they unfortunately give ne no clues as to the riding conditions. The road I chose was hilly but beautiful. I passed some folks working in a yard, and they told me (in what I think of as an old Maine accent) that the road up ahead was very beautiful but very hilly. They went on to say that if I didn't come back out in two hours that they would come and get me! They were just kidding, but I really believe that they would have been happy to drive down the road in thieir pickup to give me a ride back.And they were right about the hills. They had an interesting difference of opinion of the road up ahead. The woman in the group told me that I should ride as far as Fort Henry, that it was hilly after that. One of her companions said "what are you, crazy? There's a steep hill leading down to Fort Henry, and she'll have to ride back up the hill.". I chose to ignore their well-meaning description of the road up ahead, and I kept on riding. And I'm glad I did...<br />
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It was a very pleaant road for riding. Unfortunately soon after I turned back I noticed a dark, dark section of sky, and I started hearing thunder. I was hoping that I'd make it back without getting wet, but it just wasn't to be. I rode through sprinkles, and then as I pulled into the center of Machias the skies just opened up. Luckily, I was right next to a gas station, so I pulled in and stood under the canopy over the pumps until the deluge let up. There was still water streaming down the sides of the road and there was still light rain falling when I got back on my bike to finish the remaining mile back to my car. All things considered I was very, very lucky. I could have easily been a lot wetter than I was. <br />
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Tomorrow it's time to head home. Before I head home I'm planning to ride in the morning, but that will depend on whether the rain has moved on by then. Where? I honestly don't know. I'm in Ellsworth tonight, and right now I'm considering heading back to Acadia and doing the Park Loop Road once more. Or I might decide to ride a bit further to the south and west, maybe in the Camden / Rockport / Rockland area. I know it probably makes more sense to ride somewhere new tomorrow, but my riding decision for the day doesn't need to make sense - it only needs to make me happy!<br />
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Look closer - the rocks in the background are totally covered with birds! <br />
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</center>Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-91233061821391925332005-06-28T13:05:00.001-04:002009-01-25T13:18:20.153-05:00End to end down the spine of Campobello Island<b><i>Apparently the puffins didn't want company today!</i></b><br />
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This trip seems to be a planned trip of unplanned days. While I did see a little bit of blue sky before the sun set last night, the fog gathered on the coast by the end of the evening, and it stayed. It appeared that the puffins put in an order for fog so they could have a day without visitors. After calling someone on the island - I think someone from a Canada department of natural resources - and finding that the fog was so thick that the edges of the island weren't visible, the captain of the puffin cruise cancelled for today. I rebooked for tomorrow, but there weren't any spots available that will allow me to actually set foot on the island. As it turns out, there are 3 boats that run tours out to the island, and they work together to minimize the impact of the visitors on the birds. I believe each boat is only allowed 8 humans on the island each day, and the other people on the boat stay on the boat for a tour around the island from the water. I find it interesting that the set foot on the island tour costs $65, and the tour around the island is $100 - it seems to me that the get off the boat option is the more interesting of the two. Since they cancelled the tour, I'm not being charged the difference to switch to the only available spot for tomorrow. Of course I'm sitting here Tuesday evening looking through my window at fog - a bit lighter than yesterday since I can still see the dock - so it's entirely possible that tomorrow's tour will be cancelled too. If that happens I suppose I have a built-in reason for another trip out here. I really like this B&B, and I 'd love to have a chance to see these crazy birds. <br />
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Water? Where is it? Do you wonder why the hour and a half boat ride to Machias Seal Island was cancelled? The boat captain called out to the island, and was told they couldn't see the shoreline at all. <br />
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Breakfast was wonderful again. Maureen offers a choice of cereals (cold, or oatmeal) or her choice of breakfast entree. Today's entree was blueberry waffles - so that's what I had, along with fresh fruit. The fruit included Maine blueberries; knowing they aren't in season yet, I asked Maureen about them. She said that she takes blueberries from the August harvest, spreads them on a cookie sheet, and freezes them. Then she puts them in a plastic freezer bag. If I have access to good Maine blueberries this season, maybe I'll buy some extra and try that freezing trick. (If you've never had Maine blueberries, they are absolutely wonderful and far better than any other blueberries that I've had. I highly recommend trying them if you get a chance.) Breakfast is a favorite meal for me, and It could be very easy to get spoiled by these breakfasts. No complaints here!<br />
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No puffin tour meant it was time to pick a biking destination. With the cancelled tour I'm really glad I changed my plans yesterday and retrieved my 4-wheeled fossil-fuel-powered vehicle to supplement my self-powered bicycle! When I headed out this morning I was thinking it might be reasonable to ride in two different areas, but as it turned out I only had time for one ride. I headed to Campobello Island - a good hour and a half drive from here - then across the water and just across the border in New Brunswick. I wasn't sure I'd be able to pull off that visit to Canada because I don't have my passport with me, but I was able to confirm (based on Maureen's experience) that a driver's license would work, so off I went. One of Campobello's claims to fame is that it was the vacation destination of Franklin Delano Roosevelt from the time he was a child through his presidency. And he was actually in his summer home on Campobello Island when he came down with polio. So I spent a bit of my time there wandering through the 34-room "cottage" that he and his wife & children used as their summer home. <br />
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I rode the all of the main paved roads on the island, not too much from a mileage standpoint, but a very enjoyable time. The ride out was easier because unbeknownst to me I had a tail wind pushing me along. I should have guessed based on the speed I was able to maintain. It still amazes me that a tailwind can be a secret, but I always know when there is a headwind. It would have been easy to think that the roads belonged to me as a cyclist because there was very little car traffic on the island. I suspect that most short-time visitors get to the Roosevelt Cottage and then head back off of the island. That's not a complaint by any means; it was very nice to ride on limited traffic roads. <br />
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Even though I intended to bring my sandals with me, somehow I left them in the car. Not a smart move when it came time to wander over to East Quoddy Light. I decided to enjoy the light from afar rather than traipse across seaweed-covered unstable rocks in my cycling shoes. The light is on a small piece of land that is off-shore from the end of Campobello Island, and there is a prominent warning sign before the very steep stairs leading down to the rocky "beach" connecting the two islands. The warning? That as the tide is coming in, the water level increases at the rate of <b><i>5 feet per hour</i></b>, and that it would be very easy to get stranded on the lighthouse island. The warning went on to state that you could be stuck on that island for at least 8 hours. That doesn't sound like a good idea to me. <br />
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<hr/>After I finished my ride, I headed back across the bridge to Maine. I was considering riding my bike over the bridge instead of driving, but I'm glad that I didn't. The bridge consisted on only 2 narrow lanes with no shoulder, so I was a lot happier in the car than I would have been on my bike. (Even though it's amazing to hear myself say something like that!)<br />
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Back in Maine, I headed out to West Quoddy Head Light, whose claim to fame is that it is on the easternmost piece of land in the United States. While there were actually some spots of patchy sun and blue skies when I was on Campobello Island, the area around West Quoddy Light was totally socked in. Heavy fog, accompanied by the constant sounding of the fog horn. Finally today I was in view of the Bay of Fundy... and according to the state park brochure "Strong tidal currents between West Quoddy Head and Campobello Island drive what is said to be the largest whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere." I wonder if that is visible on a better (clearer) day.<br />
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Pictures, pictures, and more pictures, but I suspect that what I was trying to capture for a good part of the day probably eluded both me and my camera. It was just amazing how the foggy areas were hanging over the land.The fog banks were visible to the human eye, but they didn't appear to be visible in my pictures. I could be wrong about that because the only way I have of viewing the pictures now is on the camera. I guess I'll have to wait until I get home and can view the pictures on a bigger screen to see how much the lighting conditions fooled the camera (or should I say that the conditions let my camera get the better of me?).<br />
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Dinner tonight was at Tall Barney's again. There are two restaurants right in the center of town - a pizza place, and Tall Barney's. And there is supposed to be another family-style restaurant a mile or two past Tall Barney's. Since I do have my car here now, I could have driven to another town, but I'd much rather just walk to dinner. Another good dinner - this time I had what they called a haddock burger. It was really the same fish I had yesterday, but served as a sandwich on a hamburger roll. I also had cole slaw, and of course I <i>needed</i> dessert, so I ordered a chocolate chocolate chip cookie to take with me for later. My dinner cost all of $7.49! I remember getting meals at this kind of price in the small town I passed through on my cross -country trip, but that's not a price that I ever see around home. Amazing. This restaurant appears to be the gathering place for all of the people of Jonesport. I sat in the front room - in one of the booths. There is a very long table down the middle of the room, and people seem to congregate there. While I was eating, and older couple walked in and sat there. They were soon joined by someone waiting for a (called-in) takeout order, and 2 more folks who appeared to be the owners of the restaurant. A very friendly place, with reasonably priced good food...<br />
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I'm really hoping that the weather cooperates tomorrow so I can go meet some puffins. I have a sneaking suspicion that it won't, but only the morning sun (or lack of sun) will tell.<br />
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The roads I was riding all come to a somewhat abrupt end at the edges of the island. I have to admit I've never seen a sign like this before, a traffic circle at the end of the road and the edge of the land.<br />
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Really foggy! All things considered, I think the decision to cancel the puffin tour today was the right one.<br />
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East Quoddy Lighthouse is on the northen end of Campobello Island in New Brunswick, but is actually closer to Maine than it is to the main part of New Brunswick.<br />
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<i>Hey - can I drive back to Jonesport? Back across the bridge? Wow, I've never been to Canada before!</i><br />
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Well Rover, you can watch out of the window, but since you can't reach the gas & brake pedals I'm going to have to drive. It really would be more of a help if you would do some pedaling on the bike... And actually, you have been to Canada. Don't you remember Niagara Falls? <br />
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<i>Oh, but this is a different province! </i><br />
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</center>Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-14197749016297371522005-06-27T12:47:00.000-04:002009-01-25T12:55:54.431-05:00What happens when Denise rides scenic highways?<b><i>Prospect Harbor to Ellsworth, and then on to Jonesport</i></b><br />
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I should know by now that the roads designated as scenic highways are often lined with trees - so lined with trees that you can't see beyond them. The contrasting sections of road yesterday really made me think. Don't get me wrong, yesterday's ride was fabulous - I wish I could repeat the sections like the Acadia NP section of the Schoodic Penninsula (or something like it) every day. I remember staying on the non-scenic part of the road riding into Jasper, Alberta many years ago; the scenic road was in the trees, and the non-scenic road had a view of the moutnains. Why am I telling you this? Because after thinking through the rest of my plans, I changed them. Instead of riding to Jonesport today and then having a 55-mile "in the trees ride" back to Ellsworth, I decided to ride back to Ellsworth today, and then drive east to Jonesport. Tomorrow morning I'll be on a boat on my way to visit the puffins, and then I plan to wander on my bike for a while in the afternoon, probably staying in the general vicinity of Jonesport. On Wednesday I'll use the car to allow me to do a day ride further east, as in as far east as I can go in Maine. It took me a while to make the decision to change my plans. And while I do realize that I could still end up cycling in the trees, I'm happy with the change. So now I have a tour that is 4 days as a self-supported tour and 2 (or possibly 3) days of day trips. I guess plans are made to be changed!<br />
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Breakfast this morning was a multi-course affair. The first course was mango-lime soup. It had an interesting flavor, but it was a bit too sweet for me for a good breakfast food. Next came a small slice of very moist zuchinni walnut bread. And the main course was waffles topped with slices of spiced pears, Maine blueberries, and maple syrup. Very nice. <br />
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It was a good conversation breakfast too, starting with Edith who was serving breakfast and continuing with the family of 3 who came in soon after I did. The inn asks guests to choose a breakfast time of 7:30, 8, 8:30, or (I think) 9. Of couse I chose the early slot, so I found it interesting that anyone else was there. The other guests were a couple from Seattle and their son who is currenly living in Raleigh-Durham, NC. This was their first trip to Maine, triggered by a conference the woman attended in Portland. They managed a long weekend, split between the main section of Acadia and the Schoodic Penninsula. And you know the problems I was having sandwiching my trip into a long weekend? The four days I've ridden so far would have worked for a shorter trip up here.<br />
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When I first woke up this morning I thought I saw blue skies, but by the time I walked over to breakfast the sun and blue skies were hiding in fog. It wasn't soupy in that there was plenty of visibility on the road. There just wasn't any visibility up into the sky. It was a much cooler day today too, cool enough that I started riding wearing an extra layer - my wind vest. That only lasted about a mile, and then I switched back to my normal summer riding attire - a sleeveless jersey and shorts. I was plenty warm as long as I kept moving.<br />
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I headed back to Ellsworth, adding an extra loop through some very rolling territory. This morning's ride started with a new section of road for me, but there really wasn't any way to ride back without repeating a good number of miles on route 1. Luckily the scenery does look a bit different when you're focusing in a different direction. I did manage to add an an extra loop, heading north on route 200, and then picking up 182 heading to the west (and back to route 1). I had no idea of how many miles it would be before route 200 hit 182. At one point I was beginning to think that the roads didn't really connect, in spite of the state road map that I consulted. They did connect though, as promised by the map. It was a beautiful road with rolling hills that never seemed to stop, and beautiful views including - surprise, surprise - the water! Riding east on route 1 (as I did yesterday), there is a bridge between Crabtree Neck & West Sullivan. As it turns out, the water that flows under that bridge goes up into Hog Bay, Taunton Bay, and Egypt Bay - which I could actually see from the road today. It was low tide when I went by, so what I saw was tidal flats. It was a nice change of scenery. I also met my first logging truck of the trip on the very narrow route 182, nicely heading in the other direction.<br />
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Time to switch modes of transportation with a drive to Jonesport. I really noticed the changes in road characteristics in the car. A good part of the road was nicely paved with paved shoulders, but it occasionally degraded to sections of rougher road with no shoulders at all, and then it went back to nice pavement with shoulders. It wasn't obvious where the changes occurred - it wasn't on county lines because I only crossed one of those, and the road surface didn't change. It also wasn't obviously on town lines. The drive for the most part was on either route 1 or 1A, and I found them both similar as to quality. While I wouldn't classify either of these roads as back roads, I did find them to be acceptable roads for cycling. <br />
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Since it wouldn't take any muscle effort, and since there was still a foggy feel to the area, I decided to loop around the Schoodic Penninsula once more to see and feel it in different conditions. It was a different kind of beautiful today, very enjoyable. <br />
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The road down to Jonesport was beautiful. It had a more open feeling, with cropped fields or low-growing plants rather than trees. The fog started lifting, then it dropped back down again. Then there was blue sky, and then there was more fog. I finally arrived at the harbor and found my B&B. Harbor House on Sawyer Cove. The original section of the building was built around 1880. The current owners bought it in 1995, restored the building, and converted the 3rd floor "storage hall" into two guest suites. It's another beautiful place to stay. My room has a king sized bed plus a sitting area and a table & chairs in a bay window overlooking the harbor. Jonesport is a small town, with just a couple of choices of restaurants - a pizza place, and 2 family-style restaurants. Dinner tonight was at Tall Barney's - fried haddock was a nice change of pace for me. <br />
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Tomorrow, an early start... the puffin tour luckily leaves from right outside of my B&B. I say luckily because the boat leaves at 7AM - it's nice to know I can just walk outside. Because guests here often go on this early morning tour, Maureen offers breakfast at 6. That was a nice surprise since I was figuring I would need to get myself something like instant oatmeal for the morning. Not this time - I'll be able to have a nice breakfast before boarding the boat. Here's hoping tomorrow is a good picture day!<br />
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These wonderful characters were selling blueberry rakes at the Hubbard Rake Company, on the road in to Jonesport.<br />
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</center>Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-90012644285483980372005-06-26T12:31:00.000-04:002009-01-25T12:40:43.876-05:00A wonderful wander, awesome!<b><i>Ellsworth to Prospect Harbor via the Schoodic Penninsula</i></b><br />
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What an awesome day! It started on Route 1, and finished with an unbelieveable ride around the Schoodic Penninsula. The two times I visited Acadia National Park before I only saw the part of the park on Mt. Desert Island. I suspect that's true of most visitors to that park; it was really hard to believe how few people I saw out on the Schoodic Penninsula part of the park. But let's start the day at the beginning. <br />
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I headed out of Ellsworth, riding toward the east. For some reason I've been thinking north, but the coast of Maine in this area heads more to the east than to the north. I thought it was me losing my sense of direction, but I had a long conversation with someone who lives here, and he expressed the same confusion. (I don't believe he was a Maine native, but a transplant.) I remember on my first day on Mt. Desert Island I was on route 3 west, and I thought I was heading north at the time. I wasn't... And they do call this area of the state Downeast.<br />
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At one point - not too long after I left Ellsworth - a car pulled to the side of the road in front of me, hoping to get directions. The license plate and the occupants of the car were from Nova Scotia, and they were (hoping to be) heading to Portland. I was able to tell them they were heading towards New Brunswick, and that they needed to turn around to head towards Portland. Lucky for them that they asked me a pretty basic direction question since I'm not too familiar with the roads in this state other than the ones I am planning to use myself. Of course we could have consulted the state highway map that's riding along in my panniers.<br />
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Route 1 was decent for cycling even though it is a pretty major road in this area of the state. I did discover something interesting though, and that is that I don't agree with the scenic route designations. The portion of route 1 that skirts Sullivan Harbor and Frenchman Bay is designated as both a National Scenic Byway and a State Scenic Highway. From that designation I expected to be able to see more than trees, and while there were a couple of sections from which the water was visible, most of the time the scenery was trees. The road started with good smooth pavement, and had paved shoulders too, but that stopped once I crossed the bridge from Crabtree Neck to West Sullivan. Funny, that's exactly when the National Scenic Byway designation started. The road surface degraded and the shoulders disappeared. At some point it improved again though. And while it's nice to have paved shoulders, I'm used to riding on narrow 2-lane roads with no shoulder, so it wasn't anything out of the ordinary for me. But scenic byway? When I hear something like that, I think of the road up Going to the Sun Highway in Glacier National Park - and this really didn't compare. OK, OK, I'm a bit fussy! It was still a good ride...<br />
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Yes, there actually are some water views along this section of Route 1. I was pulled in by the National Scenic Byway & Maine Scenic Highway designation and expected many more water views than I had. But then again, the road around the Schoodic Penninsula (pics later on this page) made up for this one! <br />
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An interesting (miniature) building at the entrance to a cemetery. Building? Maybe I should call it a large dollhouse, considering that I was taller than this structure!</center><br />
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<hr/><br/>The National Scenic Byway designation did continue around all of Schoodic Penninsula, so I guess you could say that the designation was partially correct. <br />
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Knowing that I needed to pick up food for dinner, I made a quick stop in Winter Harbor to check out the shops. Just as I pulled into town, the noon fire whistle started shrieking. Do you know how hard it is (as in impossible) to cover both of your ears when riding a loaded bike? My ears seem to have survived though. I went into J.M. Gerrish Provisions, and the choices there looked good. It was about noon, and they were open until 4. I talked with the folks there about how long it usually takes to wander around the Schoodic Penninsula. I really just wanted to verify the distance. I preferred to loop back to Winter Harbor to pick up food instead of letting it heat up in my panniers. It turned out that I had plenty of time for a good-paced ride and for time to just absorb the beauty, so my bike and I headed out again. <br />
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The loop from Winter Harbor, around the Schoodic Penninsula, and back to Winter Harbor turned out to be twelve miles. And as it turns out it's a loop that I would happily do multiple times (just for exercise) if I lived in the area. There were sections in the trees, but there were many sections along the water. I stopped at Schoodic Point, swapped my bike shoes for my Chaco sandals, and spent some time wandering around the rocks and trying to capture pictures of crashing waves. It's anyone's bet whether any of the shots I took did the job! The area was rocky, not sandy. In addition to the crashing surf, there were sections of the rock where grasses were growing, and sections with clumps of beautiful purple iris - both of which looked like they were growing in crevices in the rock. And there were pools of standing water too, far enough back from the ocean that I don't think they would be covered at high tide. Very interesting, and very beautiful. <br />
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I'm staying at the Oceanside Meadows Inn, in Prospect Harbor. When I called for the reservation, the innkeeper told me he was putting me in an oceanfront room on the second floor. The four windows in my room are open, and as I write my journal entry I am sitting in a rocking chair in front of one of the windows listening to the waves crash on the shore. This inn is made up of 3 old buildings - 2 houses with sleeping rooms, and a barn that has been renovated for use for functions. The houses are lovely, and there are plenty of sitting rooms scattered throughout the houses, a fireplace in each house that apparently are burning fires most nights (probably not needed tonight!), and access to coffee, tea, and ginger snaps (!) whenever desired. <br />
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I knew that I needed to bring food with me for dinner, and I also knew that I would have access to a kitchen. I stocked up at J.M. Gerrish Provisions in Winter Harbor - the second time I passed through WInter Harbor, that is. Dinner tonight? I had an amazing hummus and veggie sandwich, some curried cous cous, a wonderful fresh kiwi, and of course chocolate - a brownie - for dessert. I guess you could say I've had no trouble sticking with my preferred diet of veggies & seafood on this trip!<br />
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It was a great riding day today, and I'm ending the day in a very nice place. Those two things together make me a happy cyclist...<br />
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</center>Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-12431164495087875492005-06-26T11:56:00.001-04:002009-01-25T12:08:53.407-05:00Hey - who created that wind?<b><i>Bar Harbor to Ellsworth by way of Southwest Harbor & Seawall</i></b><br />
My day started with a conversation about cycling at breakfast. I was asked if I was doing road or mountain biking - based solely on my attire. Of course it was another cyclist who asked after recognizing my bike shorts. He (sorry, didn't get his name) lives in Bangor, and rides a fixed gear bike. He told me he is having a frame custom made by a builder in Montana, and that he is also going to spend a week with his bike frame master learning how to build frames himself. What an interesting approach to learning how to build frames - pick a builder for your own custom bike and learn from a master. <br />
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While I did consider riding the Park Loop Road one more time, new territory and terrain won out. I left Bar Harbor, heading across the island on route 233. It was a good route decision, but it definitely came with a price. It felt like I was heading uphill from the beginning, and after I passed the entrance to Acadia the big hill became bigger. I pulled a brain-dead move and didn't shift down fast enough. The grade of the hill was steep enough that I knew I wouldn't be able to get those pedals turning before the bike fell over, so oops, time for a little walking. (And no, the bike didn't fall over - I stopped to rest and couldn't get started again - haven't you done that too?) As I was walking, another cyclst rode by. As she saw me she said "This is a killer hill - the worst one on the island". I assume that she wasn't considering the road up Cadillac Mountain, which I believe is steeper - but I'd have to agree that of all of the hills I've been on yesterday and today, this one was definitely the worst. <br />
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And the wind? I thought I was slower than usual as I was heading south from Somesville. I initially thought it was due to the hills, or that for some unknown reason I didn't have good touring energy levels today. As it turns out, it was very windy all day, and for that section it was blowing directly in my face. Uphill into the wind.... It was definitely much easier retracing my route as I headed back to Ellsworth in the afternoon - at least for the portion of the ride that was on Mt. Desert Island. As I crossed back to the mainland, the wind became a side wind, luckily blowing in the direction that would blow me off of the road rather than into traffic. <br />
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I stopped at the Southwest Harbor Chamber of Commerce to ask for information on the road up ahead, and I ended up having an interesting conversation with the woman who was manning that little office. She told me of her friend who is a cyclist and who is very comfortable with the hills on Mt. Desert Island. It turns out that this friend went to Swan Island with her bike and got a rather unpleasant surprise. Apparently she swore she would never go to Swan Island again with her bike, and went on to describe some very steep hills. It sounds like Swan Island shouldn't be on my list of biking destinations either! I was surprised today that as I rounded Somes Sound that the road was not next to the water. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, and I suppose it was wishful thinking. I think the New England states were populated well before anyone pushed to keep the land next to the sea public, or at least accessible. It makes me realize how special the Oregon Coast is. So as I headed south down 102 from Someville, the road was decent, but there were no water views. And as I look at the Hiking, Biking, and Cross Country Skiing Trail Map that I was given at the Chamber of Commerce office, I can see that for the most part the road wasn't near the water... Luckily my stop there confirmed that there was water access ahead a few miles in a town called Seawall, so I kept on riding in the same direction, It wasn't quite time to turn around yet. <br />
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<hr/><br/>I stopped at Seawall, time for pictures and food. As I started back, I saw a group of cyclists just pulling in. I left before they did, but they were traveling unencumbered and were moving much faster than me. As they caught up with me, I had a short conversation with one of the men, who told me that the group is from Montreal and then told me he didn't speak much English. And I told him that I unfortunately don't speak French. Even if we hadn't been moving at different speeds I suspect it would have been a short conversation.<br />
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As I rode back through the main street area of Southwest Harbor I saw a bank temperature sign advertising a current temperature of 93 Fahrenheit or 34 Celcius. No matter which temperature system you use, that is definitely a hot temperature for cycling. <br />
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I stopped in Somesville again on my way through. It felt like it was time for more sunscreen - I figured there was a chance that some of the sunscreen had been thinned by sweat, especially seeing the salt sweat marks on my shorts and my gloves. It was another good photo op too. Apparently I wasn't the only one who thought it was a good place for photos because right after I stopped a couple got out of there car wielding a camera. I started talking with them because he was wearing a T-shirt that said Lockport, NY. I rode through there on my cross-country trip, so out of curiosity I asked if they were from there. Nope, they were from Casper, Wyoming and are spending the summer in this area. We had a nice conversation before we all moved on. As always, it's fun to meet people on the road. <br />
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I had to stop - on an uphill again, of course - for another deer photo. This deer seemed to be a little closer to me and a bit more in the open. Instead of eating, the two of us were having a bit of a staring contest, me with a camera, and who knows, maybe the deer had one too! (OK, I know that's not possible - it's more likely the deer was trying to make sure that I wasn't moving any closer, and of course I wasn't.)<br />
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As I got closer to the bridge off of Mt. Desert Island, I passed a sign that said I was entering the village of Town Hill. And wouldn't you know I had to climb a decent-sized hill to get to the village?<br />
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As rides go, today wasn't bad, but I don't think it measured up to yesterday's ride. I spent a lot of time away from the coast yesterday, but for the most part I liked the road better. It's probably not fair to compare the two rides thought, since yesterday's was in a national park. And now I understand why the ranger I was talking with yesterday told me that people usually drive to Southwest Harbor and just do the loop at the tip of the island. <br />
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They weren't kidding! I fought a headwind all morning, had the joy of a tailwind on my way back from Seawall - and once I crossed back to the mainland, the wind changed to what I would call a sidewind. It was very strong, but luckily for me it was pushing me away from traffic!<br />
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Just as I was crossing the bridge back to the mainland, these two gals in kayaks popped out from under the bridge. It looked like they were having a great time - and it was still pretty warm out, so it looked like a good day for playing on (or in) the water.<br />
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I was very glad to see my air-conditioned home for the night this afternoon. My first task after checking in was to run to the grocery store to pick up Gatorade and some fruit for tomorrow. Then, ahh... a shower to get rid of all of that sweat definitely felt good.<br />
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Next it was time to figure out where to go to dinner. I was using my usual criteria of trying to find somewhere within walking distance, but then I realized that my car is here, so I wasn't limited by walking distance and I didn't have to get all sweaty walking in the heat. As it turns out, I went to the downtown area of Ellsworth to find a restaurant. It really was within walking distance, but it would have been a nasty walk since the section of 1A where my hotel lives does not have anything resembling a sidewalk, and it's a very busy road. Dinner tonight was at a place called The Mex, awesome crab enchiladas surrounded by the usual beans and rice. Since I didn't have my ice cream fix for the day, I stopped on the way back for ice cream. It was a good eating day,Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-54564933401147209532005-06-24T11:30:00.000-04:002009-01-25T11:39:43.348-05:00Ocean, wind, trees, hills<b><i>Ellsworth to Bar Harbor via Acadia's Park Loop Road </i></b><br />
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This morning started with a drive to Ellsworth and with seeking a home for my bright blue car over the next six days. I stopped at the Comfort Inn in Ellsworth where I will be staying for two nights during my wanderings (although not two consecutive nights) to ask permission to leave my car in their parking lot. Permission granted, with a suggestion to leave the car in a spot in the lot right across from the front door. I found it very interesting that during our conversation the manager looked at my face and asked "Is that a bruise?". I think that most people (strangers, that is) either aren't curious or don't have the guts to ask. I told him that bruise is over a year old, a remnant of last year's <a href="http://denisegoldberg2004crash.blogspot.com">crash</a>, and that this trip is my return to touring. <br />
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<b><i>Time to start riding...</i></b><br />
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The road out of Ellsworth started as a commercial strip, but it changed very quickly into a 2-lane road heading for Mt. Desert Island. This is an island that is very close to the mainland; the bridge was much shorter than I expected. I headed to the east, towards the entrance to Acadia National Park. I stopped at the visitor center to pick up a map and to see if the rangers could tell me anything about the roads on the non-park side of the island, my planned riding territory for tomorrow. It sounds like the west side of the island has less traffic than the east side, and I didn't think the east side had much traffic at all. Of course that could be due to the fact that today was not a weekend day. And speaking of traffic, I'm finding that what I think is no traffic at all is viewed quite differently by some of the folks who work and live here. My light traffic is their heavy traffic. <br />
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The roads today were definitely rolling, In fact at times I could say they were more hilly than rolling, but I suspect that is because my normal riding territory is pretty flat with some rolling hills. Riding in Acadia, I felt like someone removed the flat sections - I was either crawling up the hills (yes, I was on my bike moving slowly, not really crawling) or flying down the other side. For the most part the road conditions supported speed, but I have to admit when I looked down and saw 33 mph on my cycle computer I figured it might be a good idea to slow down. It was also a day of optical illusions, times when my eyes said I was heading downhill but my legs and my bike said that I was definitely riding uphill. Does that ever happen to you, or is it just me? I suppose it is some kind of optical illusion, and it's happened to me on other tours too. It is definitely a bit disconcerting. <br />
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As I pulled up to the park entrance station in the aisle for holders of park passes, I started to stop so I could pull out my pass and show it to the ranger. Before I could stop my forward progress, she looked at me, asked if I had a pass, and when I answered yes just told me to go on through. Very nice. Another cyclist pulled up as I was finishing my quick conversation with the ranger, didn't stop and just said "I've got a park pass". We rode together for a short time. He told me that he lives 20 miles from here, and usually rides in the park 2 or 3 days a week. Now that's someone who is definitely getting a lot of benefit out of his park pass! What a nice location for regular rides. I suppose it could get boring to ride here, just like I get tired of the roads I ride all of the time at home, but I wouldn't mind having the problem of needing to repeat rides in a beautiful place like Acadia National Park.<i><blockquote>Information on Acadia National Park can be found on the National Park Service web site at <a href="http://www.nps.gov/acad/">http://www.nps.gov/acad/</a>.</blockquote></i>A good part of today was spent riding in the trees. There is only a short section of the Park Loop Road that is close to the water and that offers views without wandering out on the cliffs, although when I look at the park map that section is longer than I thought. I usually prefer not to hide in the trees, but I have to admit that the tree-lined roads in the park were really beautiful. <br />
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I stopped at Sand Beach - and thought enough to exchange my bike shoes for my Chaco sandals before heading out in the sand. As I was changing my footwear, I had a conversation with a woman who was driving a taxi-van. At the time I saw her she was sitting in the parking lot, but it turned out she was driving some folks from the cruise ship parked off of Bar Harbor for the day. Apparently a good part of this taxi company's business is driving private tours of the area. Conversation ended, and now it's time for a short wander on the beach fronting some very cold ocean water. According to one of the tourist publications, the water temperature right now is in the 40s. Cold! It's funny, I saw a little boy stick his feet in the water, and then go back to tell his mother that the water wasn't cold. She called him on that, saying "you did't really get wet, did you?". Funny! <br />
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It's amazing to see a sandy beach in this area with a very rocky coastline. Both were beautiful. <br />
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My next stop was Thunder Hole, but it really wasn't thundering today. I assume that's because the tide was out; it seems that higher tide would help the thundering. I'm tempted to change my plans for tomorrow and and head back there in the morning. My plans are to ride on the western part of the island before heading back to Ellsworth, but I could be tempted by doing part of the eastern side one more time. I guess I'll have to see which direction my bike turns in the morning! <br />
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I stopped at Jordan Pond, which appears to be the only stop in the park with food service - it was mid-afternoon by then, and it seemed like a good idea to get some ice cream. Somehow the peanuts, energy bars, and Gatorade that I had been downing all day needed a little supplement. It's amazing - I didn't see too many cyclists on the road, but there is a long row of bike racks there, and they were all full of bikes. Apparently there are a lot of visitors here who are spending time riding the (unpaved) carriage roads here. As I got closer to Bar Harbor I saw a van pulling a trailer full of bike racks. I suspect it was on the way to Jordan Pond to pick up riders and rental bikes.<br />
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When I pulled out of the parking lot at Jordan Pond to head back towards Bar Harbor I saw a deer in a field, happily eating and swishing his (her?) tail back and forth to distract the bugs. Of course I did try to get a picture, but I'm afraid the deer is going to look like a small dot in the middle of a sea of green. It was worth a try though. <br />
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I wandered into Bar Harbor before heading back out of town to find my home for the night. I figured that since this weekend is the week before the 4th of July that everything would be pretty busy here. That's really why I made reservations for tonight as opposed to finding a place to stay when I arrived here. I had a reservation at the Fairfield Inn, which is a bit outside of town near the ferry terminal. As I rode through town I found that most hotels and many B&Bs had vacancy signs out. It was still early enough to cancel my reservations, but I decided to stay with what I had arranged. While most of the restaurants are in town, it turns out that Stewman's Lobster Pound is right next to my hotel. Ah, the dinner conundrum solved! I was able to sit on the deck overlooking the ocean, and I had a very nice Cobb salad that included fresh lobster as one of the salad components. A good dinner, and I'm happy. Time for a rest now...<br />
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<img src="http://denise.smugmug.com/photos/26878408_pCqse-500x500.jpg"></center>Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-54970894745395374632005-06-23T10:36:00.001-04:002009-01-25T10:37:24.027-05:00Three-state day by alternative transportation<blockquote><blockquote><i>As I left the office today, I heard the usual "have a great trip", but my co-workers also had a couple of requests. They were "don't fall off your bike", and "you are going to call in every morning at 7, right?". Well, my intention <b>is</b> to have a good trip, and to not fall, and to allow friends and colleagues to follow my travels in this journal. These requests brought a smile to my face. It's very nice to know that people care, and I wish I knew a way to make people more comfortable with my traveling habits. I really need to get back to what I would consider a normal part of my life, and I trust that all of the good wishes that people are sending my way will help to protect me. </i></blockquote></blockquote>The three states? Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. The New Hampshire coast is short enough that an out and back bike ride starting in Massachusetts and crossing the river into Maine before turning back is more than possible as a day's (bike) ride. Today's transit of these states was in my bright blue fossil-fuel (rather than person) powered vehicle. Once I was past Portland, Interstate 95, also known as the Maine Turnpike seemed to be a never-ending stretch of road surrounded by trees. It did pass through some populated areas, but until I was a short 10 miles from Bangor all I saw was trees. From a distance standpoint I may have put in some extra miles in the car because of my decision to stay on the interstate and the head to the coast from Bangor. The other option appeared to be to take back roads from Augusta, but for today I think the interstate was the right choice. <br /><br />While the normal road signs on I95 were on the right side of the road, the state of Maine appears to like to put blue-background warning signs to drivers on the left side of the road. The one that really caught my eye said "Avoid sudden stops". Let's see, I'm on a road where the speed limit is 65 miles per hour - and traffic at that point was moving at 75. Sudden stops? In normal traffic on this road I don't think that's likely, and I doubt that it needed to stated. Although just past there on the right side of the road and just to the edge of the pavement there was a collection of what looked to me (as I went flying by) as a set of gravestones. That was a prime example of a time when I would have preferred to be on my bike so I could stop and see what was really there. Maybe I was seeing things...<br /><br />The other sign that kept jumping out at me were warnings: "Caution: watch for moose on roadway", or a sign with a picture of a moose and "next 17 miles". Didn't see a moose though, which was probably a good thing!<br /><br />There were a number of times during my drive that I really wished I had my camera in my hand. Traveling by bike gives me the freedom of stopping to capture pictures whenever I see something that interests me, but somehow stopping on an interstate highway with a not very wide shoulder didn't really seem like a good idea. Tomorrow...Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-36464336587195394072005-06-21T10:33:00.000-04:002009-01-25T10:35:05.201-05:00The first day of summer<b><i>...a good day to pack for a tour</i></b><br />
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I'm at 2 days and counting... two days until I drive to Maine that is, still three days until I start riding. I could say that it's hard to believe that my tour is almost here, but considering how little time has elapsed since I planned the tour - well, that wasn't very long to wait, was it? <br />
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My exercise plans for this week called for riding on Monday, and then switching to just walking for the remaining days until I leave. I want to start this trip in a well-rested state, and taking a couple of days off from biking seemed like the right thing to do. I have to admit that it was hard to stay off of my bike today, but I did manage it. My rest day exercise (today) consisted of a total of 2 hours of fast walking. I'm not sure that really classifies as a rest, but at least it was a different form of exercise. <br />
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Somehow over the years I've been in the habit of packing two days (or nights!) before I leave. That way there isn't any last minute panic about things that I forgot... When I stacked everything on the floor in front of my two panniers, it looked a bit overwhelming. Is that all really going to fit in those two bags? I knew I had an out if it didn't fit since I was planning to use my smaller panniers, the ones I keep calling front panniers since that's how they were originally used. I could always change plans and use the larger rear panniers. But it looks like I'm all set. I just have to charge the batteries to my electronic toys and place them in their home inside the panniers. <br />
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Oh, and Rover has to decide which toys he wants to play with while we ride. As you can see in my packing pictures, he was busy tasting Luna Bars while I was packing. Of course his preference is for chocolate! Since he refuses to help pedal, I've been trying to convince him that he can help with the journal entries by taking notes during the day. Of course, he's never done that on any other trips...<br />
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At the beginning of my packing session it really looked like I was either bringing too much with me or I had chosen the wrong size panniers... But those panniers are bigger than they appear, and there is acually an extra "collar" of fabric inside that I can pull up to give me a little more room if needed. Not yet... </center><br />
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I have a bag sitting by the door to my garage that has some of the important things that don't go in the panniers but that I can't leave without. These include my helmet, bike shoes, pump, and water bottles. Forgetting any of these items would not be a good thing. <br />
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Of course I also need to try not to panic about having the right clothes packed given the weather forecast over the next few days. The National Weather Service forecast for my home turf is calling for temperatures in the 80's with a few days of 70's thrown in. The forecast for the Bar Harbor, Maine area is a good 10 to 15 degrees cooler than here. As we all know, whether the forecast is correct or not is anyone's guess!<br />
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And I have to say that it really seems odd not to need to pack my bike for air travel.Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-49481328457636649152005-06-13T10:31:00.000-04:002009-01-25T10:32:32.103-05:00Permission granted...<b><i>...for a stop along the side of the road</i></b><br />
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Along with the confirmation of my reservation at Harbor House B&B, Maureen sent a tourism publication on Maine's Washington County. It's the easternmost county in the state, and is also the furthest east you can travel in the United States. Jonesport sits on the coast, probably about a third of the way across the county, closer to the western edge than to the eastern edge. <br />
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There appears to be a lot of useful information about the towns I'll be rolling through; I'll have to make sure to spend some time reading (and taking notes) before I leave. There was also one paragraph that really made me laugh. Here it is: <blockquote><b>"When You Need Relief...</b> Washington County is short on rest rooms but long on trees, and if you're really straining there's nothing to stop by from darting up many of the dirt roads that curve off the main highway. You could take your camera with you, which silently explains your presence, and anyway, you were there first. For luxury, try a service station." <blockquote><i>Quote courtesy of Maine's Washington County, published by Eric Hinson, Calais, Maine 04619 </i></blockquote></blockquote>So tell me, did I really need permission to take needed side-of-the-road pit stops? I've never had it before...Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-88606612511807870302005-06-10T10:30:00.000-04:002009-01-25T10:31:03.546-05:00I'm sending wishes to the weather wizardThe last time I came to New England for a vacation when I lived outside of this area was many many years ago (if I remember correctly it was in the early 80's), and it was an unmitigated weather disaster. Rain, rain, more rain, and even a day of snow. (Obviously my friend and vacation buddy Sue & I misjudged New England weather in early October!) That wasn't a biking trip, but it was a hiking and camping trip. And then there was the supported tour I took with Backroads, also many years ago but when I lived in New England, a cycling and camping trip in Vermont. That was a late September trip, and I remember it as being cold and wet. In fact, they opened Killington (ski resort) while we were cycling, supposedly one of the earliest opening dates on record. Those were both trips in the leaf-peeping season though. Then there was the start of my cross-country tour back in June of 2002. That trip started with 2 days of 90-degree-plus sunny weather as I cycled from my home in Massachusetts through the corner of New Hampshire and into Vermont followed by what seemed like days of cold rain in Vermont and New York. <br />
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Do you wonder why my habit is to leave New England for my vacations? I'm breaking my habit, and I hope that the weather wizard is breaking the bad weather habit too. After all, there are a lot of people who come here from very far away and have very successful trips.<br />
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<b><i>Weather wizard, this is for you!</i></b> I'm hoping for a week of dry weather. I'd love some sunshine, but I'll be happy to put up with gray days if there isn't too much of that wet stuff coming out of the sky. And wind? Well, if you can keep the wind down too, I'd be very grateful. <br />
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Yes, you're right, this is New England, and anything can happen. And I am going to be on the coast, so I know I should expect wind. I can hope though, can't I?Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-61196922432762443122005-06-05T10:19:00.000-04:002009-01-25T10:20:38.307-05:00And you're staying where?<b><i>...a home for the night</i></b><br />
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My trip is the week before the 4th of July, which is likely to be prime travel time in a location as popular as Bar Harbor. And this is not a camping trip. So yes, I did it again - I am heading out on a planned solo tour, with places to stay booked for every night. <br />
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I thought I'd try to stay in B&Bs for most of the trip, but as things worked out I'll be staying in hotels for 4 nights and in B&Bs for just 3 nights. Actually, I had figured on hotels in Bangor and Ellsworth, but I thought I could do B&Bs for the rest of the trip. Bar Harbor turned out to be a bit of a problem though. Not only were the B&Bs there pretty pricey, most of them also required a 2-night stay. OK, it's a hotel in Bar Harbor too. <br />
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The B&Bs? I'll be staying at the <a href="http://www.oceaninn.com/">Oceanside Meadows Inn</a> in Prospect Harbor for one night, and <a href="http://www.harborhs.com/">Harbor House on Sawyer Cove</a> in Jonesport for 2 nights. The people I spoke to on the phone had a reasonable reaction when I asked them if there was a place I could keep my bike, so I'm assuming (and hoping) that these will be good places to stay. <br />
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When I'm staying in a hotel I just wheel the bike into my room, but I always ask B&B owners if there is a place for the bike. Sometimes the room works, but sometimes it doesn't. <br />
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When I told the innkeeper at the Oceanside Inn that I would be arriving by bicycle, and asked if there was a place for my bike, he said he was sure he could find a place but he'd have to think about it. When I explained that in hotels it usually stays in the room with me, his immediate response was "oh, the room I put you in has a lot of space, and there is even an outside staircase that you can use - your bike can stay in your room". I verified that there are no restaurants in easy walking distance, so I'll need to stop along the way to pick up food for dinner. It turns out there is a kitchen that guests are welcome to use, so I should be all set. <br />
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One B&B down, time to check on the Harbor House B&B... As I was finishing my conversation with Maureen, the B&B owner in Jonesport, I told her that I was traveling by bike and asked if there was a safe place for my bicycle to hang out. She immediately said "you can leave it on the porch", and then she went on to ask me where my car would be. When I told her that I was planning to leave my car in Ellsworth, there was dead silence on her end of the phone. Then she said "but that's far!". I just loved her reaction.Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-8130699634946032892005-06-05T10:12:00.003-04:002009-01-25T10:19:07.656-05:00It always feels good when...<b><i>...a plan comes together</i></b><br />
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OK, let's see, I need to find destinations with places to stay at night. Bar Harbor, that's easy. Which of the few towns on the Schoodic Penninsula offer a place to stay? Oh, there's an inn in Prospect Harbor - it looks like there aren't any restaurants near there (within walking distance, that is), but I can always bring food with me. Where to next? Ah, a bit further up the coast, I think - but remember, I need be able to easily ride back to Ellsworth to re-connect with my bright blue 4-wheeled transportation home. <br />
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Eyes on the map... I spent a bit of time with my road map of Maine, looking to the east of Prospect Harbor. I thought about riding to the eastern edge of the state, but that was really too far for the amount of time I was planning. Then Jonesport caught my eye. It's a small fishing village - small, as in with a population of 1500 - at the end of a 12-mile-long penninsula. It looks like a reasonable ride from Prospect Harbor to Jonesport, and a longer but still possible ride from Jonesport back to Ellsworth. That works, but at this point I was looking at 5 days of riding. Whatever happened to my long weekend trip?<br />
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Then I discovered that there is a boat that leaves from Jonesport Harbor to go out to Machias Seal Island to visit a colony of 3000 puffins. I hope I can get some of my own pictures of these birds, but if you're curious now, there are photos of the puffins on this island at the web page <a href="http://www.birdingamerica.com/Maine/puffins.htm">Atlantic Puffins at Machias Seal Island</a> by bird-watcher Mary Scott. Taking the boat trip means I need to spend 2 nights in Jonesport. And it also means that my initial thoughts of taking a long weekend has morphed into almost a full week. Funny, maybe I would have come up with a reasonable tour in Nova Scotia if I had allowed myself a full week. At this point I'm happy with my plans to visit Maine, so Nova Scotia is just going to have to wait!<br />
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<b><i>My travel & riding plans:</i></b><br />
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I'm planning to leave work early on Thursday, June 23rd. I'll drive as far as Bangor that day, staying on Interstate 95 or its variations. I'll switch to smaller roads to drive the remaining (short) distance to Ellsworth the next morning, where I'll switch to my 2-wheeled purple mode of transportation. <ul type=square><li><i>Friday, June 24:</i> Bike from Ellsworth to Bar Harbor, and then loop around the east side of Mt. Desert Island, exploring <a href="http://www.nps.gov/acad/index.htm">Acadia National Park</a>, and returning to Bar Harbor for the night.<br />
<li><i>Saturday, June 25th:</i> Ride a loop around the west side of Mt. Desert Island, returning to Ellsworth for the night.<br />
<li><i>Sunday, June 26th:</i> From Ellsworth, follow the coast along Frenchman's Bay. Vist the Schoodic Penninsula section of Acadia, and end the day in Prospect Harbor.<br />
<li><i>Monday, June 27th:</i> Continuing east, follow routes 1, 1A, and a few other smaller numbered roads, some along the coast and some slightly inland, ending in Jonesport.<br />
<li><i>Tuesday, June 28th:</i> This day starts with a boat ride at 7am. I've been told it's a one and a half hour ride out to Machias Seal Island, a 3 hour stay on the island, and then a boat ride back to Jonesport. The afternoon? Well, it's quite possible I'll do some wandering on an unloaded bike, but it's also possible that I'll do a little bit of resting!<br />
<li><i>Wednesday, June 29th:</i> It's time to ride back to Ellsworth. Although there will be a couple of repeat sections of road (back on routes 187 and 1 at the beginning of the day, a good portion of the ride back will be on roads that I'll be seeing for the first time. </ul>Rather than jumping back in the car to start driving home after what I believe will be a full day of cycling, I'll spend one more night in Ellsworth before heading home Thursday morning. I have no plans for Thursday other than driving home, but I just may need to pay L.L.Bean a visit when I pass Freeport on my way home. <b><i>Here are some of the resources I used as I was putting my plans together:</i></b> These links may be interesting to anyone who is curious about what attracted my attention to this area of Maine, and they also may be helpful for anyone else thinking about wandering in this area. <ul type=square><li>A description of the Schoodic & DownEast region: http://www.downeastregion.com/schoodic.php<br />
<li>Maine Office of Tourism website: <a href="http://www.visitmaine.com/">visitmaine.com</a><br />
<li>Puffin tour by Norton of Jonesport: <a href="http://www.machiassealisland.com/index.html">Puffin tours of Machias Seal Island</a><br />
<li>Ferry from Bar Harbor to Winter Harbor: <a href="http://www.downeastwindjammer.com/BarHarborFerry/index.html">Bar Harbor ferry</a>. I briefly considered this as an option of getting from Bar Harbor to the Schoodic Penninsula, but I decided that I really wanted to ride the section from Ellsworth to Winter Harbor. The road skirts Frenchman's Bay, and it is supposed to be beautiful, which says to me it is worth riding.<br />
<li>Take a look at the state of Maine's <a href="http://www.exploremaine.org/bike/bike_tours.html">Explore Maine by bike</a> web page. There's not much there that relates to this trip, but I've used several of their cue sheets in the past as I was wandering in the southern portion of the state. </ul>Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-521279313035146265.post-60591424060524923732005-06-03T10:10:00.000-04:002009-01-25T10:12:15.140-05:00I had to make a decision because...<b><i>...my bike kept asking "where (and when) are we going?"</i></b><br />
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What do you mean bikes don't talk? Mine have always talked to me!<br />
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At first I thought that I would just use the plans I put together last year (and didn't use) for a long weekend in Nova Scotia. I had planned what I had been referring to as a long weekend consisting of 4 days of riding in Nova Scotia, with a final day riding (without gear, a short day trip) around Acadia National Park in Maine before I headed home. I looked at my plans, and realized that my planned second day of cycling in Nova Scotia was scheduled to be 70 miles. Hmmm... while I've done many days of that length on solo tours in the past, that's just not where I think I should start! <br />
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Out came the maps. I was still looking at a long weekend in Nova Scotia, switching my initial direction to ride north and east along the Bay of Fundy instead of heading toward the Atlantic Ocean via an off-the-coast route (the 70-miler I had originally planned). I quickly realized that given my short timeframe it would probably need to be an out-and-back type of ride. That's really not a problem, but it's also really not what I wanted to do. Thinking that there were more roads to choose from in Maine and that it might be easier to put together more of a circle tour there, I changed my focus. I was still thinking of the same number of days, but I was going to skip the ferry ride and stay on the US side of that vast body of water. <br />
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I pulled out my map of Maine and started exploring options. I'd like to visit Acadia National Park, both the main section of the park on Mt. Desert Island, and the Schoodic Penninsula to the east. And I'd like to do something that is a loop of sorts, not a straight out and back route. Bar Harbor, Mt. Desert Island, the Schoodic Penninsula... I think I'll keep heading east along the coast, and then try to loop back on a partial inland route to get back to my starting point. And look, there's a road in the area marked as National Scenic Byway, and there's one marked as a State Scenic Highway. Those are two roads that I definitely want rolling by under my wheels.<br />
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That sounds like a decision - my bike and I will be heading to Maine. Soon...<br />
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<center><br />
<img src="http://denise.smugmug.com/photos/457203386_ZtVJh-500x500.jpg"><br />
Yes Rover, I really am planning on traveling on one of those wonderful purple touring bikes. And yes, you're still a traveling dog, so you're coming too. You do want to come, right? Tell me, are you going to help me pedal this time, or are you going to just hang out and eat chocolate? Ah, that's what I thought!</center>Denise Goldberghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08049223586218975704noreply@blogger.com